Washington legislators are working on developing the policy for the new Farm Bill, which is due next year. Texas Republican Mike Conaway, Chair of the House Ag Committee, said developments in the Senate this week mean the Farm Bill process can move forward. Conaway is still planning for the farm bill process in the House to wrap up within …
Dicamba Label Features New Guidelines for 2018 Growing Season
Dicamba is now a restricted use pesticide, thanks to guidelines issued recently by the Environmental Protection Agency. The guidelines were reached through a deal between the Trump Administration and the three companies that make dicamba, including Monsanto, BASF, and DuPont. All of the changes will be on product labels heading into the 2018 season. Dr. Ahmit Jhala, Assistant Professor with …
USDA Strengthens Agricultural Sciences at Hispanic-Serving Institutions
To Cultivate Future Scientists and Leaders The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced grants to support agricultural science education at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). These grants will strengthen the ability of the institutions to carry out education, applied research, and related community development programs. “These grants highlight NIFA’s commitment to Hispanic-Serving Institutions by cultivating …
October Dairy Market Report from NMPF
In the October Dairy Market Report, milk prices continued to strengthen in August, but production is showing signs of acceleration. This year’s slow decline in the rate of U.S. milk production growth was interrupted in July and August, bouncing back to a 2 percent year-over-year increase. Lower feed costs in August helped further improve the month financially for the nation’s …
Hundreds of College Students Come Together for Animal Agriculture
Animal Agriculture Alliance’s College Aggies Online program enters its seventh week College students from across the nation are competing to win more than $16,000 in scholarships as they participate in the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s eighth annual College Aggies Online program. This year’s students represent 89 different universities coming from 43 states. About 300 students are competing in the individual division …
Green Industry Contributes More Than $20B to Florida Economy
Up 19 Percent from 2000 Florida’s environmental horticulture industry is recovering from the recession of 2007 to 2009, and it is growing in many sectors, with $21.8 billion in annual economic contributions. This is an increase of 19.2 percent from 2000, a new University of Florida report shows. The environmental horticulture industry, or the “green industry,” includes landscaping, nurseries, greenhouses, …
90th National FFA Convention & Expo
The 90th National FFA Convention & Expo kicks off today and runs through Saturday in Indianapolis, Indiana. More than 64,000 FFA members from across the U.S. are expected to attend. Convention and expo events will take place at several venues in downtown Indianapolis and surrounding areas. This year, stay up-to-date with the National FFA Convention & Expo app. Download it …
House Republicans Trying Again to Enact Ag Worker Reform Legislation
House Republicans are trying again to enact ag worker reform legislation to deal with the longstanding problem of illegal seasonal farm labor in the U.S. But, the effort may be going nowhere in the Senate. House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte’s [GOOD-lat] Agricultural Workers Act would create a new non-immigrant worker visa program, aimed at providing a stable, legal and adequate …
Plant-Based Foods Increasing in Popularity
The use and popularity of plant-based foods are increasing, but that doesn’t mean a change in course for the world population. A recent survey by the restaurant food delivery service GrubHub reported that vegan orders have increased in popularity by 19 percent in 2017. However, the number of vegan or vegetarian consumers has remained around five percent of the world’s …
Nestle Leaving Grocery Manufacturers Association
Nestle Foods announced it would leave the Grocery Manufacturers Association trade group by the end of the year, following the heels of Campbell Soup Company. Politico reports that Nestle has been at odds with GMA on some of the most high-profile food issues in Washington, D.C. in recent years. Nestle was one of a handful of companies that backed labeling …